Railway stations to be classified based on wastewater generation

The Central Pollution Control Board will classify railway stations under the red, orange and green categories based on the quantity of wastewater generated.

After the National Green Tribunal directed the Indian Railways to get a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the CPCB under the provisions of the Water Act & Air Act, a clarification was sought since railway stations did not figure in the classified list of industries requiring permission to establish and operate.

The CPCB issued a clarification stating that railway stations would be classified into red, orange and green based on the quantity of wastewater generation and disposal of untreated water into the municipal drain systems.

While railway stations generating wastewater equal to or more than 100 Kilo Litres per Day would be categorised as red, those greater than 10 KLD, but less than 100 KLD would come under the orange category. Railway stations with less than 10 KLD wastewater generation would be branded green.

In a note to all Zonal Railways, the Railway Board said it had become imminent to reduce the wastewater generation at railway stations and urged the need to identify quantity of sewage/non-sewage wastewater separately to plan installation of water recycling plants accordingly.

The Chairman, CPCB, by invoking powers under the provisions of the Water (prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, had issued a direction to all State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) to categorise railway stations and send an action taken report.